March 17, 2019

February 28th the furniture arrived on a nice sunny afternoon and I was pinching myself as it happened! It was only 15º that day and when the two young men popped out of the truck both Dan and I exclaimed immediately "you're wearing shorts?" (They were delivering from North Carolina) One of them had shorts and sneakers on with a light jacket. He said yeah I know...don't tell my mom!! Snicker snicker! Love it! Unfortunately I took no other pictures delivery day. I was busy coordinating where they were to put things.

Jumping ahead to now when I've finally gotten things the way I want.

Personal note- Nearly 2 years ago an Aunt of mine passed away. Little did we know she had created a trust about 20 years before and I was one of the recipients. This cabinet was chosen as a commemorative item to remember both my aunt and uncle who was my father's brother. They never had children and always played a special role in our family's life.

They are forever in our hearts...

The stain does have some reddish tones but doesn't always photograph that way.

I'm still playing with it as to how to decorate it.

The inside back of this unit is an antiqued mirror and there are two spotlights at the top.

A couple of years ago I got the two chairs to go with my game table. The game table just doesn't fit in this room any longer so I've eliminated it from the equation but chose to flank the sides of the display cabinet with the chairs. They are handy for extra guests at the dining table so I won't be letting go of them.

This is the new coffee table I chose. I loved the design of it and it gives me a larger area to decorate.

I spotted this elephant at a furniture store back in January. We went back recently and it was still there. The manager offered an on the spot discount so it came home with me! They conveniently scratched off part of the labeling so I don't know the manufacturer.

I've had these brass candlesticks for at least 15 years and they always seem to fit in my decorating. The brass art sphere was a find at TJMaxx a while back and ended up coordinating with my candlesticks nicely.

The old wing back recliners are a little tired but for now they'll stay.

These bronze storks have been with me since the last year that Bombay home furnishings was in business in the US which I think was 2007. I've been using a touch of Asian influence in this room and these fit in well with that kind of decorating.

The mantel is the same.

This end table is big and I had to push it back further to fit in better and I brought the lamp forward which helped make it work.

I'm in love with these white lamps. They offered just enough of a modern touch and I love their overall design.

The wood end tables are lovely. They are what delayed delivery of my order because the company that makes them takes a lot longer than most. Good things come to those who wait- right?

I adore this lamp. I took one of my little green vases that sit below the tv and set it there. I like the shape with the lamp.

I haven't elected to put anything on the bottom shelf of these end tables. I'll be keeping my eyes open whenever I'm shopping for something interesting to set on there or they'll stay empty. For now I like the clean open look!

Notice the curves of the bottoms of both pieces. I felt they complimented each other when I found them.

March 15, 2019

I have long admired the fiddle leaf fig and there has been a renewed interest in the plant for home decorating. Having owned a real one many years ago I know they are fickle and I decided I'd go with a faux version of one. They always make these with super small pots that they are planted in that is somewhat weighted. Obviously this is not attractive by itself and I had already planned for it to be set in a basket.

I did a lot of hunting and I selected this one from Crate and Barrel. It's actually an oval shape but not narrow in size. It's well built and in part I chose this because of the warm stain color figuring it would coordinate nicely with the new living room furnishings.

When my new lamps came in there were some big styrofoam pieces that protected them. I cut one to fit the width of the basket and used it for a base to raise the height of the plant. I wanted it to appear even taller than it is. I used this craft paper which came with the fiddle leaf fig's packaging to help hide the white styrofoam and to add more stability.

The realism of the trunk of this fig was a big reason I chose this one (mine came from Terrain). I zoomed in so you could see the foam. I forgot to take images prior to my stuffing the craft paper around it.

I had Dan cut a 12" round disc of cardboard (also another remnant of the new furniture packing) and we cut an opening to go around the trunk and made little pie shaped cuts so it could be snugged up to the trunk.

I wanted the 12" disc so I could add some moss to it so it would appear like it's in a much larger pot. I glued sheet moss to it.

I chose Spanish moss to stuff all around the edges to cover up the rest of the mechanics of my planting. Through my research I saw fiddle leaf figs in the price range of $1200+ planted in planters or baskets and noticed they used moss to cover the tops of their plants. That aided in my decision to use moss.

I'm real pleased with how it looks and I love what adding a green plant does for a room.

So that's how I planted my Fiddle Leaf Fig!

I'll show you the living room with my new furnishings in my next post!

March 6, 2019

My
Springtime Inspiration table is focused on spring flowers! I created a
centerpiece dressed with classic spring flowers including forsythia,
tulips and daffodils. Even a couple of blue birds have been added since
they are also some of the earliest signs of spring!

A little pair of salt & pepper shakers!

I added dark pink placemats to punch up the color a bit!

I
made rose shaped napkins to continue with my floral theme! I chose a
basic all cotton tablecloth to keep it fresh and semi-casual looking.

I used our formal china set called Yoshino.
I fell in love with this pattern because of the pretty pastel colors,
flowers and the lattice edge detail. We were married in April and this
just seemed perfect for that time of year!

I've
shown these before but perhaps not quite this way. My mother gifted me
with a set of these soft pink glass plates in the 90's. All I know is
they were described as being from Germany and require hand washing.

My Vintage stemware floral motif worked in nicely too!

At
this time of year it's still wintry up here in northern Michigan but
it's still nice to think spring! Has spring begun in your area or are
you still waiting like me?

The glass candle votives
came from Hobby Lobby. I added a little sand to help stabilize the
candles. The wood candelabra came from Pier 1 a few years ago.

I hope you enjoyed my floral Springtime Inspiration tablescape!

Thank you for joining me and I hope you'll have a chance to visit the other bloggers listed below.

February 27, 2019

I'm in the mood for something very different! How about some safari dining!

Inspired by the color of the orange tulips I chose these dishes and the safari dining began!

Craving color over the past weekend with the blizzard we were about to get I picked these up while gathering supplies the day before the storm hit. I wanted something pretty to look at other than white!

2 years ago I followed along with what turned out to be a very long wait for a now famous giraffe known as April. She eventually gave birth to a male calf named Tajiri (watched on-line by over 1.2 million viewers). They call him Taj for short.

Last summer while visiting in Frankfort, MI I came across a little shop where the owner creates all sorts of glass figurines himself. I picked out this set of Giraffe's in honor of April and Taj. She's now pregnant again and due any time now with a girl! Can't wait to see what they name her!

Though you wouldn't see a seahorse on safari you might if you got a chance to visit the ocean along the coast of West Africa before going on the safari! Either way I love the colors!

The elephant dishes are from World Market.

The Giraffe designed chargers have a lifelike texture to them. I've used them a couple of times before and once just before Taj was born "here". The same placemats were used then too. Fun to see how many ways these table accessories can be used!

I chose these tumblers because they remind me of water falling. Africa and India have a lot of waterfalls!

Susan from Between Naps On The porch went on a safari and visited Giraffe Manor in Kena, Africa and got to dine with Giraffe's! You can see a post about it "here" if you'd like!

I do love flowers!

As you can see through the window our landscape is far from what you'd find on a safari but we can pretend, right? Hmmm.... what are you imagining for the menu?

ABOUT ME

Welcome to Home and Gardening With Liz. I have combined my previous blogs “Infuse With Liz” and “Sit With Me In My Garden” into this new blog. I love interior decorating and gardening. I enjoy redefining interior spaces by moving things around and reusing decorative items already found in the home. I also enjoy creating tablescapes and an occasional crafting project. I'm so pleased you've stopped by. I invite you to follow me and I do hope you will keep coming back!
Liz